This invention is directed to providing a means for someone to have a conventional hitch receiver for a vehicle as well as additional receivers for different accessories, and in particular to provide at least a vertical receiver and alternately a vertical receiver and a horizontal receiver to receive and support various accessory devices.
The importance of having different vehicle attached accessories to assist the user in doing a job or using a vehicle for pleasure is critical to the marketing of many products. Safety and convenience are of primary concern in any use of a vehicle, especially when towing a trailer behind the vehicle or working out of the back of a vehicle. Construction workers depend on their vehicles to transport their materials and tools from place to place and to provide working platforms on the job site. A number of accessory devices are used by the worker including tool boxes, work benches, cargo platforms, a vice, a metal break, a pipe bender and the like. Each of these items require some type of support for holding, supporting and stabilizing the accessory item when in use. Pleasure users have additional needs, especially the need to tow a boat trailer, a mobile home, a motor cycle trailer or other similar accessory items. In addition, some private users carry their bicycles, kayaks, skis and other accessories at the rear of the vehicle, which are generally supported by additional framework attached to and supported by the vehicle and/or vehicle hitch. Typical examples are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,267,748 and 5,950,890. Both of these accessory items use the conventional receiver of the vehicle hitch when the hitch ball system is removed.
A particular safety problem is associated with towing a trailer. This problem exists when connecting the hitch ball with the coupler of the trailer. The driver of the vehicle is backing the vehicle to position the hitch ball directly below the end of the coupler of the trailer. The problem is, the driver generally cannot see the hitch ball or the coupler. The driver can actually run the rear of the vehicle into the coupler and do a considerable amount of damage to the vehicle. Numerous inventions have been patented to assist the driver, including mirrors and other hitch guides. Typical inventions of hitch guides are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,330,196; 5,549,316; 5,697,630; and 5,779,256. These patents disclose guide plates to direct the coupler of a trailer to be positioned over the hitch ball of a trailer hitch. The hitch guides of these references are not made to resist the greater loads of the contractor and do not prevent the coupler from going over the top edge of the guide plates.
Another problem with vehicles having storage on the top rear section of the vehicle is the ability to access these elevated areas well above the ground level. In addition, many vehicles have beds or passenger compartments accessed from the rear of the vehicle which are at a height above the ground which is difficult for someone to access from the ground. In many cases the person wanting to access these areas must first sit down, swing their legs up and stand up to place themselves in the bed or passenger compartment of a vehicle. A working platform for accessing elevated portions of a vehicle is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,919,229. This platform and step is used in conjunction with a tire to be supported at the side of the vehicle by the tire. For safety reasons, a need exists to have a platform and step which can be easily supported at the rear of the vehicle as an accessory device to other vehicle equipment, such as a trailer hitch.
A further problem is created by using the conventional receiver to help support accessory devices used with a work type truck used by a contractor. The hitch ball system used to tow trailers and the like must be removed and stored to make the center bore of the conventional available to receive a tongue of the accessory devices. A typical accessory device that uses the conventional receiver was previously disclosed as U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,748. A vehicle tool platform apparatus (accessory device) includes an elongated angle support bar having an end adapted to be received and secured in the receiver of a rear trailer hitch. However, the hitch ball system must be removed and stored for installing this tool platform.
A further problem with vehicles is the need to carry cargo and equipment at the rear of the vehicle much like the elevated rack is used to carry items above the roof level of a vehicle. Cargo and equipment racks or cages are used to carry bicycles, motorcycles, skis and the like at the rear area of the vehicle. Typical cargo carriers are made by Reese Hitch Products (www.reesehitch.com) and marketed by The Pit Crew. Inc of Georgetown, Ind. Generally speaking, these support systems are separate structures supported by the vehicle, or used with the conventional receiver when the hitch ball system for the trailer has been removed. A further need exists to have cargo and equipment racks or cages which can be easily supported at the rear of the vehicle as an accessory device using a standard receiver without the need to remove the hitch ball.
The need exists to provide a conventional trailer hitch or hitch ball and receiver system with the means for supporting other accessory devices that perform other functions at the rear of the vehicle without removing the hitch ball system. A typical conventional receiver in the industry is Part Number 44005 manufactured by Reese Trailer Hitch Products and marketed by The Pit Crew, Inc. of Louisville, Ky. When this receiver is being used by the installation of a draw bar and hitch ball system, the conventional receiver can no longer be used for other accessory devices. For example, generally speaking, a hitch guide, an access platform and step, a cargo cage and the like are accessory devices that must have their own separate support system when the hitch ball system is installed. The use of the conventional receiver to help support the accessory devices is possible only when the hitch ball system is removed and stored.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a combination hitch and receiver system and assembly having at least a vertical box receiver to accept an accessory tongue member to help support and hold an accessory devices at the rear of a vehicle while maintaining a hitch ball for a trailer and the like.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a hitch and receiver assembly having at least an additional vertical receiver to accept a accessory tongue member of an accessory device to help support and hold the accessory device at the rear of a vehicle.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a hitch and receiver assembly having an additional vertical receiver to receive a vertical tongue member of a hitch guide accessory device for guiding a coupler of a trailer to be positioned over a hitch ball.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a hitch and receiver assembly having an additional vertical receiver to receive a vertical tongue member of an access platform and step accessory device for providing easy access to elevated areas of the vehicle, as well as the trailer connected to the trailer hitch.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a hitch and receiver assembly having an additional vertical receiver and an additional horizontal receiver to accept the accessory tongue or tongues of an accessory device to help support and hold the accessory device at the rear of a vehicle.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a universal hitch and receiver assembly having an additional horizontal receiver to receive a horizontal tongue member of a cargo rack or cage for providing the capacity to carry cargo and equipment without the need to remove and store the hitch and receiver system.